MonoMobile Description

The world is in a crisis over oil, global warming, traffic congestion and air pollution. In developed countries, citizens support terrorism against themselves every time they fill-up their gasoline tanks. As a recent television reporter said, "We are driving ourselves to a nuclear bomb in the Middle East".  In developing countries attempts to superimpose the existing automobile with massive highways on already crowded and polluted cities has been called an "insane route" by a leading Chinese expert on transportation. In Los Angeles, where the average citizen

         ...Oil is destroying our economy and our       environment, while traffic congestion delays commerce and harms our daily lives....

 

sits in traffic more than they go on vacation (93 hours per year) use of automobiles is projected to increase 30% by 2020. In Mexico City, 72% of the children have brain-damaging lead quantities in their cortex and blood, which will result in limited brain development. Congestion in Bangkok is so bad, average speed is below 5 mph and 25% of each workday is spent sitting in traffic jams. The United States spends $50-$100 billion annually on military spending in the Middle East to protect our oil supply. Global warming threatens our planet's health with emissions of CO2 from fossil fuels, primarily oil. The price of gasoline will continue to go up as China, India and other developing countries consume more. In China only 1 in 70 households owns an automobile...what happens when car ownership reaches 5 in 70 households...in already polluted and congested cties?

Even with all these problems, the people of the world not only continue to use automobiles, but are actually increasing their use of automobiles and shun public mass transit. Despite a seven fold increase in funding for public transportation in the U.S. since 1960 there has been a 63% drop in public transit users. In China, despite having 17 of the top 20 worst polluted cities in the world, the use of the automobile is increasing with the rise in the standard of living.

With all these problems caused by the automobile and oil why would we ever choose to continue like this? The answer is that the automobile is incredibly convenient and comfortable, and there are no good alternatives...until now....

The MonoMobile is actually more convenient than the automobile because it is computer guided while on the rail...yet can disconnect from the rail to reach individual destinations. The fuel costs for the MonoMobile is the equivalent of 70 cents per gallon! Instead of sitting in traffic, MonoMobile vehicles travel at 100 mph along the rail, above pedestrians, weather problems on the roads, and even over congested automobiles. Wide use of the

    ...The MonoMobile is a new form of transportation that will solve oil dependency, reduce global warming, increase fuel efficiency by 300% and virtually eliminate traffic congestion on highways...

 

MonoMobile would significantly reduce global warming and air pollution. It would even reduce traffic congestion, with vehicles running close together, the capacity of the system is very high...four tracks which are only 32 feet wide have the same vehicle capacity as a 16 lane highway that is 200 feet wide.

The MonoMobile, a lightweight electric vehicle, simply drives onto the track at a point where the track dips to ground level. The vehicle increases speed on the entrance ramp and then connects to the main system track.. The MonoMobiles are run in groups of five vehicles with 100 feet of spacing between groups.The track could be placed in the median of existing expressways, above existing roadways or even across inhabited areas, since the rail is elevated. Using intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and automated highway systems(AHS), the individual cars can be massed together, running with only a few feet of separation. Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) technology guides the vehicle to its destination, allowing the drivers to use their time productively. A unique switching device in the vehicle that interacts with GPS allows automatic high speed track changes without any reduction in speed.

Benefits of the MonoMobile System:

High Speed-Based on limited testing of the prototype, which uses a small hp DC electric motor, the MonoMobile is calculated to reach speeds in excess of 100 mph. Using a linear induction motor the only limit to speed is the aerodynamics of the vehicle. A top expert in linear induction motor applications believes that the MonoMobile could go 200 mph.

Fuel Economy Improvement of 300%(70 cents per gasoline gallon equivalency)-The mileage of the MonoMobile is calculated to average 100 miles on $2.00 of electricity when attached to the track. This compares to the automobile which gets less than 25 miles on $2.00 of gasoline

Track Construction Expense that is 1/10th of Building Expressways-Based on a study of the MonoMobile track by the University of Cincinnati School of Engineering the cost per mile is estimated at $10 million per mile. Because of high speeds and the ability to minimize spacing between vehicles, the four tracks have a capacity of 64,000 cars per hour. The cost of a 22-lane highway, with similar capacity would cost an estimated $100 to $150 million per mile.

Reduced Maintenance Expenses-The routine maintenance and replacement expenses would be much lower with the track. There is no need for snow removal or water drainage. The galvanized steel rail and trusses are estimated to last over 40 years with no replacements. Modular construction makes replacement of the track sections easy and relatively inexpensive.

Lower Pollution Levels- 33% of pollution in the United States is caused by existing transportation. In LA over 60% of air pollution is blamed on the automobile. European cities are banning cars from the central city. In China the problems of pollution and congestion are so bad that "the automobile cannot be extended to 1.2 billion Chinese, not even to 100 million or 200 million" (NYT 9/22/94). Regardless of the energy source used to generate the electricity, the MonoMobile would greatly reduce air pollution.

Global Warming Reduction-Emissions from automobiles contributes over 30% of the global warming gases that are harming our planet's health. While it depends on how the electricity is generated, the MonoMobile would have an average reduction of 70% in CO2 emissions compared to the automobile.

Self-Guiding-When attached to the track, the MonoMobile is guided and automatically switched along the correct tracks, as data from GPS interacts with a small onboard computer and the in-vehicle switch mechanism. This GPS guidance system has already undergone extensive testing in Orlando and San Diego. The annual economic benefit to the United States, from a national system that would parallel the Interstate System, is calculated at $86 billion as drivers use their time productively. Expansion of the system to all highways would realize an annual economic benefit of over $365 billion. The annual benefit for drivers has been calculated at $6,881 in LA and $31,980 for NYC commuters (based on opportunity costs, existing congestion and travel costs).

Changes in Architecture and Urban Design- With silent cars running on an elevated track that takes up minimal space, the intrusiveness of expressways in urban areas will be less of a problem. Current expressways, hundreds of feet wide (65% of LA land area is being used by the automobile)could be replaced by a 30 foot wide track.

	Travel Time, Energy and CO2 per passenger mile
		for 400 mile trip
	Travel Time (1)	Energy/ pass. mile	CO2 /pass. mile
Automobile (2)	6 hours 40 min.	3512 BTU(2)(5)	0.54 lbs.(gasoline)
Commuter Train (2)	7 hours 35 min.	2996 BTU(2)	0.29 lbs.(diesel)
Amtrak HSR	5 hours  30 min.	2,650BTU (11)	0.28 lbs (diesel)
Airplane  (2)	2 hours  20 min	3264 BTU(2)	1.06 lbs.(jet fuel)
Dual Mode (4)	4 hours	640 BTU (5)(7)	0.25 lbs.(5)(4) (elec)
			0.07 lbs equivalent (12)
Tesla Elec. Auto (3)	9 hours  30 min.	1280 BTU (5)(6)(8)	0.50 lbs.(5) (elec)
			0.19 lbs equivalent(12)
Toyota Prius	6 hours 40 minutes	1562 BTU (9)(12)	0.24 lbs.(gasoline)
LRT	local transit only(20mph)	3465 BTU (9)	0.36 lbs. (9) (diesel)
Transit Bus	local transit only	4235 BTU (10)	0.44 lbs. (diesel)
	(1)1 hour check-in time airplane & 1/2 hour train
	(2) Transportation Energy Data Book DOE 2006
	(3)  assumes 150 mile range and 2 hour recharge
	(4) based on national average of 1.341 lbs. CO2 Per KWh
	(5) assumes 1.6 passengers
	(6) based on 70 KW per 100 miles
	(7) based on 35 KW per 100 miles
	(8)adjusted- Tesla claims 110 MPGe based on only 4.9 cents/Kwh
	(9) 46 mpg, 115,000BTU/g. gasoline,1.53 pass.,156lbs CO2/1,000,000BTU
	(10) Transportation Energy Data Book DOE 2006. Assumes 8.8 pass./veh
	(11) Transportation Energy Data Book DOE 2006  Assumes 20.5 pass./veh
	(12) To be able to compare CO2 from electric vehicles with fuel vehicles
	it is important to realize that the CO2 for the electricity is being measured
	at the power plant versus CO2 for fuel vehicles is measured at the vehicle.
	To be able to compare electric vehicles with fuel vehicles we have used an
	adjustment of 37.2% (based on electric power plant operating efficiency of
	40% and transmission losses of 7%)